Wexford Pride highlights inequality – ‘trans people have never been afforded a decent life by the Irish state’
Vic Kelly, Veronica Victor and John Ryan.
Author: Simon Bourke
© Wexford People
Fri 7 Jul 2023 at 03:00
Almost 50 years on from the first protests regarding gay rights in this country, Wexford Pride has held a special event to highlight “issues of social inequality and discrimination still facing the community today”.
This Soapbox Action took place on Wexford Quay and saw LGBQTIA+ community members, allies and curious passers by adorn themselves with rainbow flags in “a powerful display of strength, visibility and courage” as speeches and spoken word pieces were shared.
Over the course of the event, ten speakers discussed topics which ranged from the lived experiences of being queer in a rural area, the importance of protecting and uplifting LGBTQIA+ youth, the historic role of the media in platforming harmful debates regarding queer people’s personhood, the necessity for LGBTQIA+ voices representation, the transgender healthcare crisis, the impact of racism, ableism upon LGBQTIA+ people and the importance of intersectional solidarity.
Speaking to the current media climate faced by the LGBQTIA+ community, Vic Kelly emphasised the power media institutions hold in shaping stories which impact marginalised communities and the harm caused through the platforming of queerphobic and transphobic opinions presented as fact without sufficient academic evidence or backing.
“If it is published it must be true, there are a lot of untrained eyes out there and if it looks factual it must be true,” Vic said. “It makes it seem like you can discuss the rights of someone. They are human rights that are not up for debate. It is fundamentally wrong.”
Vic went on to highlight the impact of such debate upon the well-being of LGBQTIA+ youth and those whose identity intersects with other marginalised communities, such as those seeking asylum, from an ethnic minority community or disabled.
Addressing calls for LGBQTIA+ literature to be removed from shelves in schools and libraries, resulting in attacks upon library staff, John Cunningham Ryan highlighted the importance of seeing your identity and experiences represented during a time of growth and exploration.
“Developing a sense of identity is a crucial part of growing up. When we can’t find representation, we are denying them the sense of belonging that is socially and developmentally necessary for them to thrive, they bring solace, joy, empathy and understanding.
“The truth is; trans people have never been afforded a decent life by the Irish state. Any measly gains we've won have been through decades of organised, militant struggle, and change never came from the government, change was brought to the government. Refugees and asylum seekers have also been the target of violent campaigns by the far-right and the victim of brutal policies by the government, and we must stand in solidarity with them and fight for their rights also.
"How we achieve liberation is therefore not through begging the state for small concessions, but instead uniting together as a multi-gendered, multi-ethnic working class and seizing the power and the wealth out of the hands of the 1% and creating a society which works for all, not just a few. None of us are free until all of us are free."
Shining a spotlight on the continued silencing of LGBTQIA+ voices Veronica Victor shared a speech on behalf of an anonymous community member navigating the transgender healthcare crisis in Ireland. “I was immediately met with warnings about regret and risks regarding childbearing, I was repeatedly pressed to share information regarding previous sexual partners and acts we engaged in. My attempts to move the questioning along were shot down. The experience was a humiliating, intimidating and degrading process that has taken a significant toll on my mental health.
